1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a home health care system which utilizes a two-way community antenna television CATV network to enable a doctor to directly interrogate patients at home and to monitor the condition of the patients.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a home health care system utilizing a prior art two-way CATV network. In FIG. 4, the reference numeral 1 designates central equipment having an exchange. Transmission lines 2 comprised of bidirectional coaxial cables are connected to the central equipment 1. A video telephone 3 which is installed in a medical office like a hospital, a doctor's office and so on is also connected to the transmission lines 2, along with a plurality of video telephones 4 which are installed in the houses of subscribers.
In the home health care system having such a configuration, when a doctor examines a patient at home, the doctor and the patient communicate with each other using the video telephone 3 installed in the medical office or the like and the video telephone 4 installed in the subscriber's house through voice and image, thereby to perform the medical examination and treatment.
A typical CATV system transmits image and information to demanders through coaxial cables or optical cables. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a prior art CATV system. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 10 designates central equipment which acts as a supply source for supplying the image and voice information through transmission lines 20.
In the central equipment 10, reference numeral 11 designates a head end as an interface to the transmission lines 20; reference numeral 12 designates a VHF antenna for receiving broadcast radio waves; reference numeral 13 designates a UHF antenna for receiving broadcast radio waves; reference numeral 14 designates studio equipment for producing sustaining programs; the reference numeral 15 designates an image switching controller for switching an image to a new image; and reference numeral 16 designates a return image receiver for receiving a video signal and voice information sent from a subscriber. Moreover, reference numerals 40 and 50 designate subscriber's terminals which are connected to the transmission lines and receive through television receivers 42 and 52 video and voice information sent from the central equipment 10 through converters 41 and 51. Incidentally, reference numeral 53 designates a television camera for sending a return video signal to the central equipment 10.
The home health care system of the abovementioned prior art utilizes the CATV system.
In the home health care system in the prior art, however, only the band for video signals of feed and return directions is used to perform medical examination and treatment by interview. Therefore, there arises a problem in that communication cannot be performed for the various kinds of information required for other medical examinations and treatments.